ajandClaude Opus 5.5
39db4dc10f
StockLadder and Engines/ plug-ins only implement INestingEngine.Solve, so selecting them in Auto Nest had no path to run. MainForm now solves the whole job through JobEngineNest when the selected engine is not a built-in fill strategy, feeding NestJobProgress into NestProgressForm and binding the result poses back onto the nest's own drawings. Whole-job engines throw on cancel rather than returning a partial layout, so the progress form hides Accept for these runs. Built-in strategies keep the existing per-plate fill path. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
OpenNest
A Windows desktop application for CNC nesting — imports DXF drawings, arranges parts on material plates, and exports layouts as DXF or G-code for cutting.
Features
- Import / export — DXF & DWG parts (ACadSharp), Excel BOMs, bend-line detection, built-in parametric shapes; export DXF or post-processed G-code.
- Nesting — pluggable whole-job engines (Default, Strip, Vertical/Horizontal Remnant, StockLadder, plus DLL plugins), NFP-based interlocking pair evaluation, gravity compaction, rotation sweeps, multi-plate/multi-material jobs.
- Plate operations — sheet cut-offs, oversized-part splitting (straight, weld-gap tabs, spike-groove), interactive editing.
- CNC output — configurable lead-ins/outs and tabs, contour editing, user-defined G-code variables (
$name→#200+machine variables), plugin post-processors (Cincinnati CL-707/800/900/940/CLX included).
Requirements
- Windows 10+ for the desktop app; the console, API, and most test projects build on Linux/macOS too.
- .NET 8 SDK
Build, Test, Run
git clone https://git.thecozycat.net/aj/OpenNest.git
cd OpenNest
dotnet build OpenNest.sln # full solution (Windows)
dotnet test OpenNest.Engine.Tests/OpenNest.Engine.Tests.csproj # cross-platform engine tests
dotnet test OpenNest.Tests/OpenNest.Tests.csproj # core/engine/IO/API tests
dotnet run --project OpenNest/OpenNest.csproj # desktop app (Windows)
OpenNest.WinForms.Tests (desktop-assembly tests) runs on Windows only. Format changed files with dotnet format OpenNest.sln --include <path>.
Quick start
- File > New Nest
- Import DXFs via the CAD Converter (layer/color filtering, bend detection, G-code preview) or create built-in shapes
- Define plate size, material, quadrant, spacing
- Fill — the engine arranges parts
- Optionally add cut-off lines, then save
.nest, export DXF, or post-process to G-code
Command-Line Interface
dotnet run --project OpenNest.Console -- part.dxf --size 60x120 # fill one plate
dotnet run --project OpenNest.Console -- part1.dxf part2.dxf --size 60x120 --autonest
dotnet run --project OpenNest.Console -- project.zip # re-fill a nest file
Key options: --size WxL, --autonest (whole-job nesting), --engine <name> (jobs engine or fill strategy), --quantity, --spacing, --template <nest>, --output <path>, --check-overlaps, --post <name>, --no-save. Run without arguments for the full list.
Benchmarking Engines
OpenNest.Benchmark runs every registered INestingEngine against .nest files (or a JSON manifest of DXFs + quantities) and scores by salvage-credited sheet area, with a penalty per unplaced part.
dotnet run --project OpenNest.Benchmark -- ./benchmark-jobs \
--sheet-sizes 48x96,60x120,72x120 --engines Default,StockLadder --csv results.csv
Layouts are validated (bounds, spacing, quantity, rotation, stock match); invalid runs place nothing and pay the penalty. --parallel (default 3) speeds up scoring but inflates Time(ms) — use --parallel 1 when comparing speed. Pass --sheet-sizes for an unbiased run; otherwise only each file's original sizes are offered. --progress logs each solve's start, the engine's NestJobProgress (plate evaluations throttled to one line per 2 s, every plate commit) and its finish. Custom engines drop in as DLLs implementing INestingEngine (public parameterless constructor) in an Engines/ folder next to the benchmark. Community engines live in OpenNest-Engines.
Project Structure
| Project | Purpose |
|---|---|
| OpenNest | WinForms desktop app |
| OpenNest.Core | Domain model, geometry, CNC primitives |
| OpenNest.Engine | Nesting algorithms and whole-job contracts |
| OpenNest.IO | DXF/DWG, .nest, G-code, BOM I/O; CAD import |
| OpenNest.Console | Headless batch nesting |
| OpenNest.Api / .Data | Programmatic pipeline; machine & cutting-parameter data |
| OpenNest.Gpu | GPU-accelerated pair evaluation (ILGPU) |
| OpenNest.Benchmark | Head-to-head engine comparison |
| OpenNest.Mcp | MCP server for AI tool integration |
| OpenNest.Posts.Cincinnati | Cincinnati laser post-processor plugin |
| *.Tests | Cross-platform suites; WinForms tests are Windows-only |
Nesting Engines
Jobs-only API: engines implement INestingEngine.Solve(NestJob); only NestJobRunner commits demand and stock, and every candidate passes the placement validator (bounds, spacing, rotation policy, stock match) before it consumes anything.
| Engine | Description |
|---|---|
| Default | Multi-phase: linear fill → pairs → rect best-fit → extents |
| Strip | Iterative shrink-fill for mixed-drawing layouts |
| Vertical / Horizontal Remnant | Optimizes a clean remnant drop on one edge |
| StockLadder | Whole-job, stock-constrained baseline with salvage-credit ranking |
File Format
.nest files are ZIP archives: nest.json (metadata, plates, drawings, placements), programs/program-N (G-code per drawing), optional entities/, sub-programs, and cached best-fit data.
Supported Formats
| Format | Import | Export |
|---|---|---|
| DXF | Yes | Yes |
| DWG | Yes | No |
| Excel BOM | Yes | No |
| G-code | No | Yes (post-processors) |
.nest |
Yes | Yes |
Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl+F fill area · F zoom to fit · Shift+wheel / middle-click rotate · X/Y push · arrows nudge · Shift+arrow push.
Status & License
Actively developed; core workflows run end-to-end from DXF import to G-code. Contributions welcome. MIT licensed — see LICENSE.